Waxing Vs. Vacuum Vs. Wraps

[wcaprar]

Hi guys! I have been looking all over the forums about advantages of each and haven't found much. I know that Vacuum sealing cheese will prevent mold growth and retain all the moisture of the cheese, but what about waxing the cheese? Is it possible that mold will grow underneath wax the whole time? And I found some wax paper stuff online that says they are good for wash-rind long term cheeses. What do you all think? I have a 2lb wheel of Gouda that I will be breaking into on saturday and I know I want to have some, store some, and give some away. I only really have access to the wax and the wax paper wrap stuff. Lately my cheese has gotten a few spots of mold that I have promptly washed off, but will mold grow uncontrolled under wax? I'm thinking maybe I will wax the ones I give away and wax a few pieces and wrap a few other pieces. Any advise would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[zenith1]

Hi wcaprar- contamination is always a possibility no matter what method of long term aging you use. You can get mould growth under you wax also, you have to get your wax temperature really hot(+200f) to ensure that you have killed any possible spores. Another possibility is using a Natomycin rub under your wax, not a method that we all embrace if you want an all natural product. The cheese wrap that you mentioned is used to store your cheese that has reached it's maturity and is ready to be consumed. The vacuum sealing will help in this problem but you can still get some spots, especially until the oxygen that is left in the bagged cheese is consumed by any remaining aerobic bacterial or mould activity.

[Colin G]

Hi. If you are going to wax a cheese I would recommend refrigerating the cheese for a few hours to get the temp right down and then apply the hot wax. What this does is allow the wax against the cheese to set quickly which in turn allows you to cover the cheese with a thicker coating than you would otherwise be able to apply.
As for the vacuum packing, if you can afford one it is a really good way to store cheese long term. but don't pack it too soon after it has been made. I generally leave it for about 4 to 5 weeks so that the cheese forms a rind and has sealed itself.